Calamity Jane

Marthy Jane Cannary or as we know her: Calamity Jane was born on May 1^st 1852 in Missouri. She was the oldest of six children and was known for her love of the outdoors at an early age. In 1862 Marthy and her family moved to Virginia City, Nevada. At this point in time Marthy’s mother had passed away and her father was depending on her to help run the house.

Except one day something terrible happened…Indians had an uprising and Calamity Jane was separated from her family. Jane was forced to carry on alone at the age of ten, to get by and seem strong she dressed in men’s clothing and always carried a rifle with her. Calamity Jane’s reputation slowly but surely grew she was known for her great shot with a rifle, asking men to dance, and for not being afraid of anyone.

In her life Calamity Jane was a prostitute, frontiersmen, and a professional scout. She was known for being a raging alcoholic and when she ran out of money she would trade sex for money and then go buy more alcohol. When Jane was sober she would partake in killing Indians. This made Jane both famous for killing Indians and infamous for being a prostitute. This made people fear Calamity Jane and her way of life, until she died on August 1^st 1903.

The way Marthy Cannary got her nickname isn’t fully known however the general story is that:

"One day Captain Egan was surrounded by a large band. They were fighting desperately for their lives, but were being steadily, but surely slaughtered. Captain Egan was wounded and had fallen off his horse.

"In the midst of the fighting, it is said, the woman rode into the very center of the trouble, dismounted, lifted the captain in front of her on her saddle, and dashed out. They got through untouched, but every other man in the gallant company was slaughtered.

"When he recovered, Captain Egan laughingly spoke of Miss Canary as 'Calamity Jane,' and the name has clung to her ever since; so that while thousands have heard of her, very few have ever heard her real name.”

Information found at:

The Livingstone Enterprise, August 8, 1903, "Calamity is Dead", as quoted in "Calamity's in Town," p.32, by Bill and Doris Whithorn, 510 S. 8th St., Livingston, MT 59047.

http://www.cowgirls.com/dream/cowgals/calamity.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamity_Jane

American Quarter Horse: The Horse of the Frontier

The American Quarter Horse is a horse dating back to the 1600’s. At this time in America, these horses were mainly of Spanish origin. However, in the late 1880’s cowboys rode quarter horses because they were sturdy, willing, and quick. Their small heads and large muscled bodies were ideal for plowing, riding, and herding cattle. The quarter horse is a cross between Spanish horses, mustangs, and more domesticated breeds in Native American tribes. The quarter horse was irreplaceable even after cars and automobiles were invented because of their keen senses and quick reflexes. They were unofficially one of greater reasons why rodeos were started. Cowboys would have little competitions to see whose horse was better over a quarter mile distance. Over the years this racing has become a great sport. This being said, cattle ranches don’t use any other breed of horse to this day when it comes to reining, cattle herding, and wrangling.

Beef

Quick History: Beef were originally used for meat and labor. Horses later replaced beef for labor. One of the earliest breeds of beef imported was the Shorthorn, which was imported in 1783. They are known for average maturity rate and are easily recognizable due to their red and white roan color.

(Shorthorn Bull)

In 1817, Herefords were imported. They were one of the most popular breeds next to the Angus, which were imported in 1873. Both breeds were known for their early maturity rate. Herefords are generally red with white faces, chest and leg markings. Angus are all black.

(Hereford Bull/Angus Bull)

Another one of the most popular cattle come from the state that produces the most beef. Texas Longhorns are not used for beef anymore but are more of a symbol for the American West.

(Longhorn Bull)

Today most of the cattle used for USDA beef are the Hereford, Angus, and Shorthorn breeds. Most cattle that are shown though, are Crossbreds because they produce more flavorful meat. Other breeds have since been imported, such as the Charolais from France, and there are more than 900 registered breeds of beef in the world today.

(Charolais Bull)

Cowboy Gun Holsters

Cowboy gun holsters date back to the 18th century. The gun was a huge part of the cowboys’ life-he carried it everywhere; the holster was a necessity. If a holster was well made, the cowboy would be able to take his gun out with minimal movements. The oldest holster was used during the Civil War, and had a small loop that was fixed to the back, so that a belt was passed through it. The problem with this type of holster, however, was that it was difficult to remove the gun. Later, holsters were made that had a flap that was buttoned above the gun handle. Later, Texas holsters were made. Another version of a gun holster was one that was open in the bottom; this would allowed a gun with a long barrel to stick out a few inches. The most practical holsters were used by officers. It was designed in a way that allowed the finger to be placed in the trigger, and the thumb to reach the hammer. This design allowed the gun to be pulled out extremely fast. In short, the holsters were an extremely important part of “Cowboy Culture”, because they were a necessity for anyone who had a gun, which was most every cowboy.

Idolizing Outlaws of the "Wild" West

Wild Bill Hickock, Billy the Kid, "clubfoot" George Lane, George "Red Buck" Weightman, and many others have been idolized since their heydays in the wild west, but why did Americans feel so passionately about those who, by many standards, should have been locked behind bars? In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the West was seen by many as a place of lawlessness, ruthless behavior, and a place where a life of order was just as common as one without. Land west of the Mississippi attracted those seeking not only adventure, but a place where they could cut loose and live under their own rules. This was ultimately a response to the very aristocratic and rigid cultural structure of the east. People on the east idolized those that were rich, powerful men who were able to buy what they want and talk their way out of conflicts. These people were looked up to because they found success through business and the expansion of a corporate america. Why then, would the most popular individuals from the "wild" west be outlaws? The west, which we have discussed as being almost purely a reaction to the ideas promoted on the east, began to idolize those who were able to be as physically powerful, manly, and lawless, as possible. In many cases, these men were those who operated outside of the law, making due with what they could and living the life they wanted. These outlaws were idolized because they took advantage all that the west had to offer, and were the most manly, un-east-like people in the country. They could do what they wanted, and their success was measured not by the amount of money they could make, people they could barter with, or how well they could speak, but rather that they could sling a gun faster than anyone, rob more banks than the average man, take what they want without asking, fend for themselves, and even ride a horse backwards during an attack from indians. In their own way, these men were heros, able to be pure men; uncivilized, gunslinging, real men. I guess Americans were able to overlook the unlawful behavior because the idea behind their actions was so pure and real, and so unlike those of the east.

Researched and Written by: Matt Rizzo and Jack Cookson

Stagecoaches

So you're looking at that Stagecoach blog post down below and you're probably wondering how sad it is you never got to experience riding a stagecoach. Either that, or you're wondering what's so special about them to the point that a movie is named after them. Well, let's learn about these magical stage transportation apparatuses called stagecoaches....

Stagecoaches started transporting passengers in New England in 1744, followed by NY and Philly in 1756. By 1829, Boston was the hub of 77 stagecoach lines, and then 106 in 1832.

One of the major stagecoach lines was Wells Fargo. Yeah, they actually owned real
stagecoaches and used them not just for advertising purposes. In 1857, Wells
Fargo joined
other companies to form the Overland Mail Company. It's goal: transport mail from St Louis to SF.
It took 25 days to reach San Francisco from St. Louis. In 1861, the Civil War forced the company to take a route across the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, the Great basin, and over the Sierra.

In 1866, Wells Fargo became the largest stagecoach empire in the world. But it was short-lived, as the railroads were finished in 1869.

So what was it like to ride in a stagecoach? Well, it was a lot worse than an airplane (even by today's standards). Most coaches had three bench seats with three abreast squeezed into a space of 15 inches each. Passengers road with their bags in their laps and sometimes mail pouches beneath their feet. Some travelers suffered from motion sickness due to the movement of the stagecoach. And then, most coaches traveled nonstop for 22 days, through dust, sand, night, day, heat, and cold conditions. Passengers usually had poor food, no rest, and brief stops at stations to change drivers. If a passenger decided to take a rest break, they could be stuck at their stop for a week, or even longer if the next stage had no available seats. Passengers also walked sometimes to relieve the tired drivers, to lighten the coach, and push the coaches up hills.

Wells Fargo even made rules that each stagecoach passenger had to follow since they were stuck in such a small cramped place:

• Abstinence from liquor is requested, but if you must drink share the bottle. To do otherwise makes you appear selfish and unneighborly.

• If ladies are present, gentlemen are urged to forgo smoking cigars and pipes as the odor of same is repugnant to the gentler sex. Chewing tobacco is permitted, but spit with the wind, not against it.
• Gentlemen must refrain from the use of rough language in the presence of ladies and children.
• Buffalo robes are provided for your comfort in cold weather. Hogging robes will not be tolerated and the offender will be made to ride with the driver.
• Don't snore loudly while sleeping or use your fellow passenger's shoulder for a pillow; he or she may not understand and friction may result.
• Firearms may be kept on your person for use in emergencies. Do not fire them for pleasure or shoot at wild animals as the sound riles the horses.
• In the event of runaway horses remain calm. Leaping from the coach in panic will leave you injured, at the mercy of the elements, hostile Indians and hungry coyotes.
• Forbidden topics of conversation are: stagecoach robberies and Indian uprisings.
• Gents guilty of unchivalrous behavior toward lady passengers will be put off the stage. It's a long walk back. A word to the wise is sufficient.

Stagecoaches often faced the risk of robberies by nefarious persons, and attacks from Indians as well, just like what happens in the movie Stagecoach.

Now do you want to ride a stagecoach over an airplane? I thought so.



Ryan Himel

Your New Era doesnt have nearly the literary meaning as my cowboy hat!

When I dream about cowboys (which has become more and more often) I usually have the same picture in my head. A younger cowboy, probably 25, in jeans, a nice worn in shirt, and a worn in cowboy hat. Now the last part is truly was sets the cowboy apart from some mall-dwelling hipster. And in fact, I had quite the fascination with Cowboy hats when I was younger. We had a dress up box at my house and I used to frequently dress up as a cowboy and rule over the empty grass-lands on part of my property. I could be a pretty normal looking person, but once I put on that Cowboy hat I was suddenly transformed. But where did the cowboy hat originate? What dreamy figure designed the beautiful curves of the original cowboy hat?
We often see cowboys wearing old civil war clothing in different films, but what not often seen is that cowboys used to wear old Civil War hats as well. Realizing that most of the people in the old west were castoffs looking for new jobs, it makes sense that most of them just wore old top hats. That was until John Stetson. Stetson was known for his great ability with fur and clothes, and also happened to be on the move to the West. One day on a hunting trip, Stetson thought it would be funny to make a huge hat, with a huge brim. He continued to wear the hat around (he was probably drunk and wanted to be a jackass) and he realized, along with his friends, that the hat was extremely functional and quite handsome (if I say so myself.) When Stetson returned from the trip he began to produce the hats. Since then not much has changed. The Stetson is the most common style of hat and a few other variations have been added. The pork pie, the Canadian, buckaroos... the list goes on.
As the basic style of the cowboy hat has not changed, so has the meaning. I do not have the time to delve into the meanings of different styles of hats just yet, I plan on following my passion throughout the semester. Cowboy hats carry more than functionality, they carry history and style. Actors, politicians, and confused men in weird phases of their life use the hat to say something about themselves but this hat will always belong to the rugged western boys of my dreams.
Here is some instruction on how to take care of your hat..